MOTU is now shipping the Stage-B16 ($1,695), a flexible stage box, rack-mount mixer and audio interface with studio-quality analog performance up to 192 kHz, DSP for mixing and effects processing, and connectivity to a digital snake, audio network or host computer through AVB Ethernet or class-compliant high-speed USB 2.
Users can operate the Stage-B16 as a stage box, stand-alone mixer or audio interface and control everything with MOTU’s Web app software running on an iPad, iPhone, tablet, smartphone and laptop. Like MOTU’s award-winning 1248 and 16A audio interfaces, the Stage-B16 promises superb analog audio quality suitable for the most critical and demanding studio environments and the world’s biggest stages.
A sturdy, two-rackspace aluminum alloy chassis with optional handles provides the following front panel connectors: 16 studio-grade mic inputs with individual preamps and 48-volt phantom power, eight line-level analog outs on XLRs, four channels of AES/EBU digital output on two XLRs, a ¼-inch phone jack with volume knob and an EtherCon AVB Network connector. A bank of 26 LEDs provide signal activity and 48V phantom power status for all channels. The rear panel provides USB 2 for connection to a host computer (compatible with USB 3 and iOS), MIDI In and Out connectors and an auto-switching international IEC power receptacle.
Powerful DSP delivers large-console style mixing with 48 channels, 12 stereo busses, and 32-bit floating point effects processing, including modeled analog EQ, vintage compression and classic reverb.
With AVB networking technology, users can run mic signals over standard Ethernet cabling to a front-of-house mixing console up to 100 meters away, plus any other destinations on the network, such as a monitor mix console or a computer-based recording rig. For small- to mid-sized applications, the Stage-B16 takes care of all live sound mixing duties, controlled wirelessly from multiple laptops, tablets and smartphones.
